SPS Museum, properly the Sri Pratap Singh Museum, is the state museum of the Kashmir valley at Lal Mandi in Srinagar, founded in 1898 and holding around 80,000 objects. It began with the collection of Maharaja Pratap Singh's palace and grew into the valley's principal museum: sculpture, coins, manuscripts, shawls, arms and natural history, in a garden compound by the Jhelum.
Duke Kashmir Travels, a Srinagar agency registered as JKTA00003978 with the Department of Tourism since 2011, includes the museum for guests interested in the valley's history. Kashmir packages open around ₹6,350 per person, two to a room.
By Duke Kashmir Travels Team · Reviewed by Rayies Ahmad Zargar, Founder · Published · Updated
Key takeaways
- Founded in 1898, on the proposal of Amar Singh and the scholar S H Godmerry.
- The first collection came from Maharaja Pratap Singh's palace.
- About 80,000 objects across archaeology, numismatics, textiles, arms and natural history.
- At Lal Mandi, on the bank of the Jhelum, with a garden approach from the gate.
- The shawl and papier-mache collections show what the valley's crafts once were.
- An hour is enough; two if you read the labels.
What is in the collection?
Stone sculpture and terracottas from valley excavations, coins, manuscripts, Kashmiri shawls and textiles, arms and armour, and a natural history section.
For visitors, the shawl and craft galleries are the most rewarding, since they show the standard Kashmiri weaving and papier-mache reached at their height. The archaeological material ties directly to sites such as Burzahom.
What is the museum's history?
It was established in 1898 under Maharaja Sri Pratap Singh, whose palace collection formed the core, and has functioned as the state museum since.
A newer building now houses much of the collection, and galleries have been reorganised over the years. Photography rules vary by gallery, so ask at the desk.
How do you visit?
It stands at Lal Mandi on the Jhelum, a few minutes from Lal Chowk, and is closed on the usual government holidays.
Combine it with the market and the riverfront, or with the old city on the same side of the water. The full Srinagar list is worth checking before you fix the day.
Booking this with us
Behind the itineraries: Duke Kashmir Travels, a Srinagar agency carrying tourism registration JKTA00003978 from March 2011, IATO membership ALD150928 and a seat in the JK Tourism Council. Details on About Us.
Give us the dates and the number of travellers; the itinerary and the quote come back the same day. +91 9018 44 0000, info@dukekashmirtravels.com, or the contact page.
About the founder
Duke Kashmir Travels is owned and run by its founder, Rayies Ahmad Zargar, who set it up in Srinagar in 2011 and checks these destination pages himself. LinkedIn.